No secret

Kim went into the hospital yesterday to undergo IV antibiotic therapy. Kim, a CFer, was almost nonchalant telling me about going in. (More on that later.) She expects the stay to last between 10 and 14 days. She suffers from a cold she cannot get rid of. IV antibiotics work best for her. This hospitalization follows similar ones.

She told me this therapy could be done at home, but insurance pays 100% of the cost only if it is done in the hospital. Do you see what I see?

Drug and insurance companies do wonders for the modern world. If not for research and development, most of my PH friends, and others who have chronic diseases, would be dead. Insurance helps pay for the thousands of dollars a month maintenance drugs cost.

Somewhere along the way though, the work of people like Jonas Salk crossed to the drug companies. When medicine and big business merged, patients suffered. Big business is much like cancer. It consumes all in its path and has a take no prisoners mentality.

I am not sure we can ever right the balance. The whole situation reminds me of Pandora. All that was left in her jar was hope. Someone needs to nudge the momentum back the other way. Stop pointing fingers, stop hurling accusations. Us peasants can rise up and effect change.

I read an article which posed the question: what would LBJ do? I find that ironic since we discussed that very thing several months ago.

In Kim's situation, it would cost much less if she were at home, but insurance insists on the hospital. Huh? Make sense to you? Seems to me that drives up the demand for hospital beds and, as a consequence, costs. The drug companies make their money back fairly quickly, even on those specialty drugs. Look at profit statements, those come nearer to revealing the real picture.

Maybe an emplosion will cure the ailing industry.

* * *

I cannot imagine having two-week hospital stays as a regular part of my life. Many CFers face that often. So Kim and S and other CFers, you have my admiration. Kim, you are in my thoughts. I will try to send off the book soon.

* * *

Sometimes I feel like the little kid whose mom pulls him across the yard and he has his heels dug in. Nooooooooooo.

I miss you, dude.

Later.